Recording medium for storing version information for maintaining recording and/or reproducing compatibility, and method and apparatus for managing the same

Abstract

A method of recording read/write compatibility information on an optical disc. Extended part version information, latest part version having recording capability, and latest part version having reproducing capability are stored in either n.xy or n.x. form on 6 bytes of a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of the optical disc. A recording/reproducing apparatus to record extended part version information on a reserved zone of a physical format information zone of a recording medium. The recording/reproducing apparatus has a base part version and a comparing unit to determine recording/reproducing compatibility with a recording medium having a detailed extended part version stored in a reserved zone of a physical format information zone.

1. A method of recording compatibility information on a recording medium, comprising:
 providing a physical format information zone having a reserved zone; and  
 recording extended part version information in the reserved zone of the physical format information zone, said recording of the extended part version information comprising recording a detailed extended part version comprising a primary digit in the reserved zone.  
 
   
   
     2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the recording of the extended part version information further comprises recording a latest part version having recording compatibility with a recording/reproducing apparatus of a given specification level in the reserved zone. 
   
   
     3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the recording of the extended part version information further comprises recording a latest part version having reproducing compatibility with the recording/reproducing apparatus in the reserved zone. 
   
   
     4. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the recording of the latest part version having recording compatibility with the recording/reproducing apparatus, and the recording of the latest part version having reproducing compatibility with the recording/reproducing apparatus, each further comprise recording a primary digit in the reserved zone. 
   
   
     5. The method of  claim 4 , wherein the recording of the detailed extended part version, the recording of the latest part version having recording compatibility with the recording/reproducing apparatus, and the recording of the latest part version having reproducing compatibility with the recording/reproducing apparatus each further comprise recording a first sub-digit immediately after the respective primary digit. 
   
   
     6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising recording said primary digit, and said first sub-digit in the form of n.x. 
   
   
     7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein n represents a specification change, and x represents a specification change having no compatibility with the recording/reproducing apparatus. 
   
   
     8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising recording non-extended part version information in an unreserved zone of the physical format information zone, wherein said non-extended part version information indicates that the extended part version information is recorded in a different location.